Faux-ny
Phone Towers: Cleverly Concealed Cellular Sites
By Delana
Not many people would voluntarily live next
door to a giant cellular tower, but just about everyone wants to have
uninterrupted cellular service. That problem used to vex mobile phone service
providers, but then they realized that the solution was right in front of them:
they would simply disguise new cell phone towers as everyday parts of the
landscape. In the several years since cell phone providers have started the
practice, they’ve come up with some amazing – and unexpected – ways to
camouflage the unsightly towers.
(images via: National
Geographic, Steel in the Air,
Big
B Bob)
What do all
of the above structures have in common? Not one of them is what they seem at
first glance – they’re all hidden cellular sites. Cell phones are so ubiquitous
that the towers that make them work have to be just about everywhere. The
problem is that people don’t seem to like having huge cell phone towers in
their back yards. Complaints from towns and protests from neighbors have led
cellular providers to change the way they do business in some areas. When towns
or neighborhoods don’t want traditional cell phone towers ruining their
picturesque setting, the cellular companies get to work selecting the right
disguise for the tower.
(images via: National
Geographic)
This isn’t a
new phenomenon – companies around the world have been disguising cellular
towers in this way almost since cellular towers first started going up in rural
and suburban areas. Of course, urban cell towers often don’t require disguises
since they’re in the midst of so many other towers, antennae and tall
structures that most people don’t complain about one more going up.
(images via: Peter
and Gloria, Fresgo,
DougK,
Free2bme29,
sfwife)
As for the
disguises used, it depends on the area. By far, the most common disguise would
be trees that blend in with the surrounding flora. But anything more than a
passing glance will tell you that these trees aren’t what they seem to be at
first. With their odd height, strange branch growth and constant, unchanging
color, it’s pretty obvious that the “trees” are really bogus botanicals. And if
none of that tips you off, maybe the weird machinery poking out of the tops of
the trees will.
(images via: National
Geographic, debbado,
AggiePhil,
cnet)
In areas
where a super-tall tree might look especially out of place, cell tower
camouflage companies (yes, there are entire businesses dedicated to this cause)
can use any number of other disguises. Water towers, grain silos and flag poles
are some of the easiest: they’re already present in many places, so they don’t
look odd or suspicious going up in a small town.
(images via: National
Geographic, OBX
Connection)
Even
innocent items like boulders get in on the trickery; large rocks can hold
electronics easily while still blending into the surrounding landscape.
Buildings that look like landmarks but which are really just clever concealment
for antennae and other electronics are becoming ever more common, as well. Some
lighthouses on both coasts of the US attract plenty of tourists who have no
idea that the “historic” buildings are new construction meant to make it easier
for locals to chat away.
(images via: Derock09,
DopeyDuck,
northernpenguin,
Weird News Files)
Clock towers
and strange, unexplained structures might be a little more difficult for locals
to ignore, but they are probably just a bit easier on the eyes than undisguised
cellular towers. When there is already a tall structure present, antennae can
simply be mounted right on the existing structure so that a new tower isn’t
required. So when it’s possible, cellular companies will pay for the use of
those existing structures rather than paying for a whole new tower – whether
naked or disguised.
(images via: Dragontree,
Dragontree,
Norfolk12)
Some of the
trickier disguises involve telegraph poles, traditional telephone poles, and
light posts. These are a normal part of the landscape in most parts of the
world, so many of us wouldn’t notice a new one going up. But one has to wonder:
if a cellular tower is visually objectionable to residents, wouldn’t a new telephone
pole be just as objectionable? If you’re tempted to think that these poles are
actually what they appear to be, simply use of the services available for
locating cell phone towers in any part of the world – the information listed
there will tell you whether the new lamp post erected in your town is actually
helping your calls come in loud and clear.
(images via: CBS News and Mojave)
Even houses
are sometimes used to hide the communications equipment for cellular networks.
From a suburban dream home in Arlington, Virginia to a Native American adobe
home in Yucca Valley, California, houses and house-like structures are the
perfect costume for cell sites. If they’re located on a hill or mountain, they
can be used as transmitters on their own; otherwise, as is the case with the
Arlington house, a tower can be placed right in the back yard.
(images via: MotherGoose,
wildwoodke,
knklnicholson,
grossi,
National
Geographic)
But perhaps
the oddest concealment of all is the abundance of church steeples, crosses and
signs that hide cellular equipment. Do they give you a direct line to heaven?
Maybe not, but the churches usually make a fair bit of money by leasing out
their steeple space to cellular providers, giving the church additional funds
to serve the community while the cellular company keeps the calls coming in
loud and clear.
Source: http://weburbanist.com/2010/03/26/faux-ny-towers-cleverly-concealed-cellular-sites/